Hefei Expat - China
Old Forums => Shopping and Restaurants => Living Here => Topic started by: fly72 on January 21, 2011, 12:49:10 am
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hello. I'm thinking of coming to Hefei to work as an English teacher.
I'm a black guy born in London and want to know what a black guy living in Hefei. Can expect???
I've worked in Korea before so I'm not I'm used to people staring at me for personal questions and the like.
Also is there are lots to do in Hefei & how long does it take for the bullet train from Hefei to Shanghai. Is it three hours.
Also if you can put me in touch with any other black person living in town that would be a great help.
One more thing what is the current salary for a university teacher.
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Well Andy, it was written before lunch time... ;D
There is quite a large community of black people here, on business and teaching.
They don't seem to have much difficulty with living here, quite a few have been here as long as me.
To the Chinese here, we are all foreigners.
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Hey yo bro,
Nice intention,don't be bothered about the rude comment from Andy,he probably forgot his brain in the rains .I 'm a black guy teaching here in hefei..there's a couple of bros doing their things around the city..well the starring illness is to every lawoi but trust me the Gs love the dark hard smooth skin color :)so you might see the starring stuff as a compliment.
Most chinese have grown up and move away from the old aged cultural stereotype syndrome.
Give me a shout when you get here if you do decide to come.You might find some joints around the city pretty cool
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always taking all too serious dude...
maybe my brain is there.. but at least i can collect it...
you should try to relax a bit more dude..
and if fly is angry. i deeply apologize...
hills, have a smile once in a while..
and enjoy the snow it's better than the rain!
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i removed my rude comment to not offend so sensible people..
maybe i was cranky too because it was before my lunch as well..
but there would have been so many more funny ways to retort than yours...
let's go out and enjoy the snow...
Det snør, det snør, tiddeli bom! ;D
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Come on dawg
what a sense of humour you got.The dude is probably serious but undecided on making a move over...well here comes Andy with his humour,what do you think???
Anyway its snowing,lets go enjoy ,the rains might take over soon..oops
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no no no no
i hate rain..
probably because my tiny brain is so easy to get lost in the floods....
anyway, sorry to piss you off, more than him.. ;)
also, come on, he must have understood andy is a jackass with white dude poor fella' sad humor.. only envious of your skin color! ;D
but but.. working inside.. just enjoying the snow from the window.......
have a good day mate!
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Hills does make a good point - irrespective of what our skin colour is, or what our nationality is, anyone who isn't Chinese is just simply a "foreigner" to the locals.
Even when you're 2 metres tall..
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;D I envy anyone with a skill, feature, luck, cash, job, gf,... anything that is better than what I have but only for that specific thing. ;D
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but you are not italian!!
itlaian are supposed to be black hair black eyes and dark skin!!
i wish my skin was finally able to become at least in summer darker...
i always loved the tanned dark skin..
and the most i become is burnt lobster color.... :(
;D
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Haha well dark skin is really not the compliment but the grace that complements it...like Mike mentioned skill, luck, cash, job, gfs and gfs..sometimes even "PW" hahahahahaha
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Before I came to China, I had a great tan. I've never in my life been this white, I don't like it as much as a tan.
If I was any lighter, I'd be transparent. I seem to always look ill these days. :-\
I was very much a Bronzed Aussie.
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Hi Fly,
You are higly welcome to the beautiful city of Hefei, There are lots of nice guys here both whites and blacks from different part of the world,everyone is doing their
thing. We do get together sometimes and on special days.
However as a foreigner and most especially as a black guy you have too many challenges ,Hefei isn't that open compared to big cities like Qingdao ,
Beijing,Shanghai and so on, you just have to over look some 'Heartbroken' comments from our local friends, we experience this everyday. I expect Hills to mention this
because it is better to know what you are coming to face rather than got stuck and wonder why you didn't know at first. And for the starring thing you don't have a
choice expect you wanna be working from home, I don't see how you will survive with that.
Whenever you are in Hefei please 'Holla' we can meet and have fun together. Take care bro....
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Well Ebby,I wouldnt call those little off the road comments challenges..Its just what you ll expect being a lawoi anywhere around China.But we do get alot of treats and special deals as lawoi over here,so its all cool...kinda give and take...isnt it
Challenges you said,Not at all...Its more about individualistic values,Hefei locals are nice people..just get your styles worked out well
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Let's open this discussion right up...
First I must state that I believe "People are people regardless of influences".
We are influenced by culture, wealth, gender, colour. intelligence, experience, talents and all those things which usually, we have no control over. These same things which we have no control over are the same things which we are discriminated against.
A good person is good, because they choose to be good.
A greedy person is greedy because they choose to be greedy.
A successful person is one who uses their advantages and strengths and overcomes their weaknesses and disadvantages.
I'm so glad I have no significant physical, emotional nor intellectual disabilities. however, I'd love to have been born into a different family, one with more advantages but at the same time, the benefits of being part of my family, made who I am. I love who I am. I am where I want to be because I choose to be.
I often argue with schools about English teachers, they want white, attractive, blonde, female, native English speaking, girls aged below 50. Well hell, why would one of those be looking for work in China at the rates they pay?
I'll split this topic later and move it to "Discussions and Opinions".
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Good points, Mike. But sometimes I find China so trying and it makes it difficult to continue to 'choose' to be a good person. When I'm on the subway after a long, 12-hour day and people are staring at me (or at my wife, or saying impolite things to her because she married a foreigner), all the 'I'm going to choose to be a good person' stuff goes out the window. And when it happens a couple times a week year after year, it becomes difficult not to just expect it to happen. I am at this point now where I have very little patience with locals (I know, it's terrible and I hate myself for it as it is not the way I was raised and definitely not a very open-minded way of approaching the world). I think this has developed as more of a defensive reaction than anything. When you see people you love being threatened or disrespected time and time (...and time and time...) again, you build up bit of callousness.
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Gentlemen,as u all must have notice this country is huge,I m not talking population wise,I mean size.People come from every corner with different doctrines and norms.Forget about all the development stuff thats being going on,we all know its basically material,this place still has a long way to go with regards to personnel development.Most people are from the rural areas or merely half-baked educated.
But still you wont reject the fact that there s alot of nice and understanding people around,same like you d expect even in jail.
The issue of discriminating against peoples,to the best of my knowledge is simply in principle and not really practical.Yes they ll write those things in their ads like race ,gender,age but show your talented face,they all face off and bow.
How can I be brought down by a comment coming from someone less cooler/talented than I am????
As Mike said
A successful person is one who uses their advantages and strengths and overcomes their weaknesses and disadvantages.
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So are you saying life as a black man on Hefei is just too hard.
Is racisim so bad there? could you give me a example what you face as a black man
Hi Fly,
You are higly welcome to the beautiful city of Hefei, There are lots of nice guys here both whites and blacks from different part of the world,everyone is doing their
thing. We do get together sometimes and on special days.
However as a foreigner and most especially as a black guy you have too many challenges ,Hefei isn't that open compared to big cities like Qingdao ,
Beijing,Shanghai and so on, you just have to over look some 'Heartbroken' comments from our local friends, we experience this everyday. I expect Hills to mention this
because it is better to know what you are coming to face rather than got stuck and wonder why you didn't know at first. And for the starring thing you don't have a
choice expect you wanna be working from home, I don't see how you will survive with that.
Whenever you are in Hefei please 'Holla' we can meet and have fun together. Take care bro....
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Yeah, I'd also second the notion that Chinese don't see all foreigners exactly the same.
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How can I be brought down by a comment coming from someone less cooler/talented than I am????
Guess I'll have to try harder ::)
Yeah, I'd also second the notion that Chinese don't see all foreigners exactly the same.
To be fair, it may be wise to take into account the impression left by previous foreigners in Hefei. For example, if locals are death-staring you along Food Street in Hupo, and you're new to town, they may be considering regarding you as "one of them".
Even at my apartment block, I always hold the door open for the Chinese residents either coming or going, so that they can get used to a friendly 2 metre tall foreigner that they're sharing Hupo with. ;)
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@ Hills, Of course you can't call the off road comments as challenges, that's far from the real challenges I am talking about. Life is a series of challenges - mental,
emotional, physical, and lifestyle, in a general term can be reffered to as those things that are imbued with a sense of 'DIFFICULTY' and 'VICTORY', though sometimes
some behaviors exhibited are intentionally provocative and expresses opposition.Also after all these years of open up 'DEVELOPMENT' here doesn't equate
to 'CIVILIZATION'.
Moreover I haven't seen any special treat without any hidden motive,must be for a reason, after the so called treat if the result is nothing worthy, you can guess what
happen.
@Fly, Life is never too hard anywhere,be focused,know your priorities,put on your armour (you will need it all the time).And here locals don't see it as racism, they
see it as part of the culture (being curious). I personally have nothing to worry about,not physically challenged, have a job to survive and have a family to look after. but the
truth must be said.
However, Just like you said' GET YOUR STYLES WORKED OUT' I will go with that.
@Mike , You are so coollllllllllllllllllllllllllll
A successful person is one who uses their advantages and strengths and overcomes their weaknesses and disadvantages.
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Thank you Hills & ebby for giving me some information about being black in Hefei.
They were very helpful.
please try and get more black people to either tell you their experiences of living in Hefei or get them to post their experiences.
The more diverse opinions I can get the better idea of life in Hefei.
Speak up guys